NIGERIA, ranked 87th alongside Ethiopia on the 2025 Henley Passport Index, has again increased its passport fees, pledging to uphold the quality and integrity of its Standard Passport.
The ICIR reports that Nigerian passport has witnessed major fee hikes since the introduction of updated e-passport in 2019, and the fees have been more than quadrupled since then.
From N19,000 and N24,000, respectively, in 2017, passport with 32-page and 64-page 5-year validity attracted N25,000 and N35,000 respectively, while the one with 64-page and 10-year validity was issued for N70,000 in 2019.
The country saw another increase in the passport fees in 2024, as the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) explained that the hike was intended to maintain the quality and integrity of the Nigerian Standard Passport.
It raised the cost of the 32-page, five-year validity booklet from N35,000 to N50,000, and the 64-page, 10-year validity booklet from N70,000 to N100,000.
Hardly had the outbursts generated by the increase dwindled into silence when the Federal Government dropped another bombshell on passport fees increase by 100 per cent on August 28, 2025.
The new decision is to take effect on September 1.
The cost of the 32-page passport with five-year validity was increased from N50,000 to N100,000, while the 62-page document carrying 10-year validity rose from N100,000 to N200,000.
However, the latest decision did not affect Nigerians in the diaspora. They will continue to pay $150 for 32-page passport with 5-year validity, and $230 for 64-page carrying 10-year validity.
The ICIR reported in March 2025 that a Nigerian content creator, Alma Asinobi, expressed frustration in getting multiple visas for her intercontinental travel tours due to the Nigerian low-ranked passport.
Asinobi said she was frustrated with spending money on multiple visa applications with her Nigerian passport, only to experience repeated rejections.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.